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Jack Newnes
Jack Newnes is a junior St Kilda midfielder who was drafted to the Saints in 2011. =Early Career= Newnes impressed as a junior and won selection with TAC side Northern Knights, and strong performances saw him gain Vic Metro representational honours. Newnes averaged 22.8 disposals (8.6 contested), 6.2 marks and three tackles in his 11 appearances for the Knights.[1] Newnes nominated for the 2011 AFL National Draft following the completion of his VCE certificate the year prior; "I was a young Year 12 last year. I was doing a TAFE course this year at RMIT in advertising ... just so I had something else and wasn't going to go mad thinking about footy," said Newnes just before the draft. "I've been going to the gym because I need to put a bit of size on and strengthen up because if it actually does happen and I do get drafted you're expected to be fit from day one. I've been doing a fair bit and that can keep your mind off it, but it's always in the back of your head. You just don't want to let it get to you and stress you out too much. I try to keep myself calm and not stress too much about it. Obviously you think about it a fair bit during the day. You don't want to think about it as the be-all and end-all. I don't think I'm certain to get drafted, I'm hoping it will happen.[2] =Draft and Early Years 2011-Present= Newnes was selected in the 2011 AFL Draft by St Kilda with their 37th selection, with list manager Ahmeet Bains describing the youngster as "a versatile midfielder with good endurance and is strong overhead.[3] On being selected by the Saints, Newnes recalled watching the draft on television: "they were interviewing Jonathan Patton at the time. I pressed the red button (to try and activate a Pay-TV option to switch back to the count) but it didn't change. I was kind of listening and I was pretty sure I heard my number. I was like ‘hold on, hold on', but then it popped up on the screen with my name and I was just stoked." On his discussions with the Saints prior to the draft, Newnes stated he wasn't too sure the Saints were interested in him; "they came over and met mum and dad and had a chat to me," he said. "I don't know. They didn't really give too much away and I certainly didn't have an inkling of where I was going.[4] Shortly after Newnes began training with the Saints, coach Scott Watters compared the young draftee to Saints superstar Lenny Hayes. “In many ways, he’s probably been the most impressive in the week that we’ve had,” Watters said of Newnes. "He was likened to have Lenny Hayes-type leadership qualities prior to the draft and he’s done nothing to disappoint in that area. “(He’s a) quiet kid, but really studious in the way he’s attacking our game plan, a beautiful kick of the footy.”[5] =Statistics= Category:Players